Karting has become so popular that you should be able to find a track near
you. Most of the major cities in the US have one or more tracks designed especially
for racing. This is really the most important element at this stage...finding a track you're
comfortable with.

Getting Started: Advice for Beginners

Karting has become so popular that you should be able to find a track near
you. Most of the major cities in the US have one or more tracks designed especially
for racing.

This is really the most important element at this stage...finding a track you're
comfortable with. Tracks vary in design. Some are a lot more fun than others,
so check around and see what's out there. They also differ in what classes they
offer. Even though most typically run under one of the national kart organizations
rules, they also offer what's called "local Option" classes. These
classes are offered because they feel that a variation of the organizations
rules is in order for their particular location. For example: there might be
a dealer near a particular track that loves 4 cycle engines, and since that
shop services and supports that track weekly, they tend to offer more 4 cycle
classes than another track just 30 miles away. So, if you have the option of
a couple of tracks, visit them all to see which one best suits your needs.

Once you find a track you prefer, contact them and go watch a race and then
attend one of their monthly meetings. There you can get a rule book as well
as being able to ask questions and get to know the people you will be racing
with. If you haven't been to one of their races do so. You'll find that they
are great sources of information. Many dealers also display their wares as do
many of the local drivers, so if you're looking for a used kart, this would
be the first place to look.

Today there are 3 forms of karts available to you: Fun, Concession and Racing.

Fun Karts are the type that you can find at places like K-Mart and are designed
to have fun around your yard or down an alley. They usually are priced around
the $500.00 and are mainly for kids.

Concession Karts are those that are used at fun parks that also offer things
like miniature golf and batting cages. You can't buy Concession karts, and even
if you could, I'm not sure why you'd want to.

Then there's racing karts. These karts are the ones that we're most interested
in. Racing karts are purpose built machines designed to allow you the opportunity
to tune them to suit your own needs. They are built from the most exotic materials
available today. Racing karts are too fast for "concession" type tracks
and are built so you can choose which type of engine you'd like to run on it.

We are often asked the question "Are there blueprints available and can
I build my own kart"? My answer is, that unless you have a serious mechanical
and engineering background and access to the a wealth of machinery, I would
suggest otherwise. Not only do you have to conform to stringent rules and regulations
set forth by the various racing organizations, but you'll be competing against
companies that have decades of racing experience to draw from, and some of them
are actually teams that build Indy Cars for a living. That type of experience
is hard to beat. My advise is to save the time and headache and buy something
from a reliable and established company and go out and have a good time. You'll
be glad you did.

Racing karts come in a variety of designs, depending on what type of racing
you are interested in competing in. Those divisions are: Enduro, Oval (dirt
or asphalt) and Sprint categories.

Sprint racing is by far the most popular. Sprint races are held on road-course
type tracks that are anywhere from 1/4 mile to 1/2 mile in length. Sprint karts
can also be driven on any of the other types of tracks, which makes them the
most versatile of all the karting divisions. This class, depending on engine
size, runs speeds in the neighborhood of 45 - 80 MPH and fully prepared, generally
cost between $2000.00 and $5000.00. Most Sprint races run short but quick 10
to 15 lap heat races, thus the name "Sprint". Each state usually offers
a number of Sprint tracks that run every weekend, which makes it very accessible
and the most popular division in the sport.

Oval racing is held on tighter tracks of 1/8 or even 10 mile lengths. They
also run on either dirt or asphalt. Oval racing is the 2nd largest division,
and is more common in the southern regions due the popularity of NASCAR, but
are held in each state across the country as well. Oval chassis are specialized
designs that are engineered specifically for tight courses where you only turn
one direction. Oval karts can not compete on road courses, however, Sprint karts
can and do complete on Oval tracks...and in the right hands, do very well.

Then there is the Enduro division. This division runs longer, endurance races,
thus the name Enduro. These karts vary drastically from either the Sprint or
Oval divisions in that the karts are designed so the driver lays down in the
kart for better aerodynamics. However, Sprint karts, although they run their
own separate race, can run in Enduro events too, which is why the Sprint karts
are generally more popular. This division runs on the big car tracks like the
Daytona International Speedway, Mid-Ohio, Elkhart Lake, Road Atlanta, and so
on and are the fastest of the lot as it is not uncommon to average speeds of
well over 90 MPH!. Some Enduro karts even run twin engines, which makes for
a truly exciting ride!

Unfortunately, the Enduro tracks are few and far in-between, so this class
is the smallest division of karting, but offers a lot of excitement for those
you want to run on the same circuits that Mario and AJ have.